


Apocalypse

by Annekoni



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), K-pop
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-04-07 20:21:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14088915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annekoni/pseuds/Annekoni
Summary: Lisa's mission is to track an unknown girl not knowing a surprise is waiting for her. Jennie a single heir of a mysterious clan journeys to fulfill a destiny. Jisoo an inquisitive biochemist meets a girl that goes against everything she knows who calls herself Rosé. All lives tangle together in a bout for survival in a dystopian world well on it's way to another Apocalypse.





	1. Nostalgia

The smell of old wood tickled her already itchy nose, but it is comforting.

Beads of sweat on her brows drip down her eyes as she dragged the box closer, careful not to disturb the explosive powder nestled inside.

The floating sawdust swirling along the single shaft of the 4:00  afternoon light looked too pretty that she just had to pause and stare at the mesmerizing motes.

It reminds her of the snow back home.

 She is always like this, always hungry for all things lovely.

Later the sight would be replaced with something different and ugly.

            Shaking her head she turns her attention back to meticulous measuring of nitroglycerin and antacid.

It's gonna be exactly eight times more powerful than her usual babies, she thought with a smirk.

Not a moment later she's already writing her initials on the large cylinders.

 

7:00, right when darkness had completely enveloped the land, a loud and violent release of energy travelled in waves shaking the earth.

Razing a burning building to the ground. Inhuman screaming and chaos all around.

      A piece of aluminum flew, forgotten among the debris.

The handwriting on it that the heat made permanent glints with the fire's glow, etched in small handwriting is “K.J.PPOONG!".


	2. Hopefulness

The silent moonlight shone down the clearing. Under the stars,  trees press close, a slight girl climbed up to one, soundless.

With a grace of a cat she perched on the highest branch,

it offers an excellent view.

A rustling from the leaves.

“Trouble" her brain said.

Her hand automatically reaching to the sheathed knife on her left hip.

Her well adjusted eyes scanned the thick neighbouring foliage and found nothing except the trees' wooden fingers scratching at each other.

The wind. She still waited. Nothing. She relaxed but did not let her guard down.

From her backpack she eats the last of her apple, it's easier to keep awake at night, that's what her mother said and that she'll be safer if she keeps on going East.

She does not worry.

She's almost there, she thought, her fingers tracing the small emblem on her knife’s handle.

“The East" murmured under her breath, the sound soon vacuumed for a flash came from the said direction, a distant but loud rumble of a bomb detonating follows right after.

She flinches a little, her shoulders rose up to her ears even if she tried to keep calm.

Now she doubts if it is really “safer". She trusts her mother.

“You got this Jennie Kim.” She said it  strong and loud.


	3. Numb

"Blood red Rosé, that's her,

blood red Rosé, blood Rosé Red Rosé"

The whispers came and they never go away. The voices echoing around the hallways of her soul. 

"THAT'S NOT ME!" she screamed into the mirror "Who am I?" She asked, almost wistfully, half expecting her reflection to reply. She took a glimpse of her dripping hands, sticky with the warm liquid that once ran through the bodies of something that lived, until they met Chae- no Rosé. That's right, she's not the girl she was before. 

She quickly washed off the crimson from her hands, realized she needed more cleaning she discards her clothes. Shedding the thoughts in her mind as well as she stepped into the ice-cold shower, letting the frigid water run down her porcelain body, until she went numb, letting go of sensations. She imagined how it feels like to be cut in the flesh, Rosé does not know, but Chaeyoung has faint memories of scraped knees and hurting ankles. “Strange" is the only word Rosé let linger in her head. 

Stranger still is that the longer she stared at the shower room's bloodied tiled floor, it somehow glowed orange. A sudden bright light swallowed her and the small room. The deafening explosion mushroomed from below the building she was in. White hot steel shrapnel rained down, searing, piercing skin and breaking bones. Screams filled her ears and her consciousness. “How could I be so careless?” was her last corrigible thought.


	4. Promise

“THIEF!” cried the man pointing his tattooed finger at the culprit.

 

The said miscreant stared with wide eyes around her.

 

Lisa wanted to contend first with a sentence that starts with “I didn't steal anything” or “I'm innocent” but judging from the looks of the men who somehow looked like male bulls, "Wait,are there female bulls?” She's got no chance to talk this one out.

 

She pulled her black hoodie lower and bolted through the doorway lightning fast.

 

“After her!”

The men pounded the pavement with their large feet.

She's so much faster with her longer strides feeling confident until she heard the distinct roaring of motorcycle engines.

“Well fuck”

She turned into a corner and discovered it was a cul-de-sac the end wall soon stood looming in front of her,

“What kind of fuckery has this day got into? It's not even one o’clock in the afternoon yet”

The large people hot behind her heels turning the same corner made her decide real quick, shaking her head and mussing her bangs she took more than a couple steps back and jumped. Scaling the ragged wall. It is high enough to keep out what should be kept outside, but she's determined. She knows what's behind it, and she doesn't care. She's sure the men would kill her knowing what she stole, or worse maybe even turn her over to the government. She wouldn't risk doing what she’d usually do, the place is heavily monitored.

“Speak of the tiger”

She muttered as she punched a small camera attached to the wall and used it as a step ladder to go over the other side. From this side the wall is smooth, almost a pleasure to touch. Lightly landing on her feet she hasn't even broken a sweat she thought proudly the height didn't bother her. She snapped her head upward when she heard a gunshot from above then a harsh voice “No don't shoot her ya asshole, we need her alive, but yeah ya can wound her.”

Lisa sprinted across the grass covered concrete that offers lesser traction she looked back

“Those filthy fools, they'd even follow me here, wow they even brought ropes.” She thought in amusement.

She then made a beeline to a far fence covered with barbed wire, fitting her slim body through a thin opening, unfortunately the wire got her hopelessly tangled, it tugged on her hoodie.

Against her will she wiggled out of the clothing and left it behind with a heavy heart.

 

“I’m sorry Dad, I'll come back to get it, I promise.”

 

She didn't stop running she's been maintaining her speed for God knows how long, only then did she stop when she reached a shallow river.

 

Meanwhile, the bullmen who scattered to look for her were already disheartened. Wearily making their way back to the wall.

 

“If we didn't get her, the damn creatures will" said one with a nose-ring.

They laughed but their eyes flit to the shadows, now suddenly aware of what might come to attack them despite the exhaustion they quickened their pace.

The wall is still three turns away when they heard a low growl and the presence came closer to them.

“Freeze, they can't see in the light but they can sense movement”. One cautioned, a gunshot soon followed the statement.

“Stupid, I thought you had sense in you, a shot won't kill it, but it's howling would bring more of it's kin-...”

One by one the men fell the last thing they saw are bare jagged teeth that are mostly fangs tearing their throats.


	5. Awe

“Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook

or tie his tongue down with a rope?

His breath kindles coals.”

                         -from a forgotten book

07:05 p.m. 8 miles away from the wall. The remains of an old civilization suffered in ringing silence after the detonated bomb.

K. Jisoo stood on top of a large fence post as still as one. She watched the structure in front of her crumble down, fire licking the remaining concrete. Damn right her babies are more powerful. Did not disappoint her a bit.

She counted seconds and with a flick of her thumb ignited the switch and started another explosion, this one a lot less potent but so much brighter than daylight, along with it she mouthed “Boom”. Waves of undulating heat blew some of her dark hair away from her face.

She listened satisfied with the wails of the bloodthirsty crawlers inside the building It'll summon maybe a hundred more, just as planned.

 Both her hands on the ready gripping the handles of her guns. As expected, hungry eyes then glowed around the edges of the light dome she created.

“Good”

Grotesque abominations of nature revealed themselves getting closer to the explosion’s origin. Jisoo is a convenient distance away, but she still shivered at the sight.

The heft of what's in her hand becomes the only real thing for her. She fires aiming right between the eyes. A sure thing to shut the monstrous things up one bullet one crawler, empty shells rain down her feet.

But she abruptly stopped. Something-someone caught her attention,there in the hellish vortex of fire, on top of the glowing rubble stood a naked girl. In surprise Jisoo just stared wide-eyed and her lower jaw hanging.

Her mind short-circuits in a series of shocks when the enigma of a girl starts to move, light on her feet yet full of strength she tears the creatures creeping up on her with her hands. Red locks brilliant but untouched by the fire, smoke rises from her skin from the burnt blood of the crawlers under her mercy killing the rest and stepping over their remains, bare feet squelching on gore.

"How could someone be so beautiful and terrifying at the same time?

Stillness.

The girl turned her head and the rest of her body towards Jisoo’s direction who've been watching the whole time and is still frozen. The embodiment of mystery took a step then two and soon is running toward her.

In a breath the girl reached Jisoo and jumped up tackling her to the ground with the redhead astride her so she couldn't move. Her back flat on the grassy ground everything happened in a millisecond Jisoo closed her eyes and tries to swallow but her mouth is dry. 

This is her end, by the hand of a naked ravishing girl-monster.


	6. Uncertainty

The dismal air inside the surveillance room grows staler by the second. It is a little known fact that looking at mundane events on the monitors could kill someone. A lanky girl haunched in front of the hundred screens looks like she could die. Lisa have been here for more than an eternity. She had to get that file where the camera has filmed her running from the men and climbing the wall early during the day and delete it from the archives.

She resists the urge of just punching through the LED screens and just balled her fists instead. Wherever she looked in the drive where it is automatically moved and backed up in real-time Lisa can't find it. She managed to get into the main computer but she's not just cut out for this. With a frustrated huff she dialed a number that kept on ringing on the other end and the answering machine bursting a bright “Nyeong-aaan please leave a message after the beep” a farting noise precedes the beep to Lisa’s disappointment she scrunched up her nose.

“Uggh Jisoo, why would you be unavailable just when I need you?” Lisa muttered under her breath staring intently into her phone.

Heavy footsteps behind her made her close all active searches she had on the screen.

“Manoban”

Lisa whipped around to see a hulking man whose muscle’s threaten to break out of his black shirt.

“The President wants to have a word with you.”

The deep voice that matches the enormous human being sent chills down Lisa’s spine.  The president might have found out what she did. She'll end up in prison or someplace worse, she feels like dying on the spot.

“R-roger that, Roger” fuck, why did I say that?  She  cringed quite visibly and looked the other way so she'd avoid his unamused stare. She ducked her head and made her way out the door.

Everyone knows in their department that he doesn't like to be called by his given name, he’s known as Krunk because he always looks mad and he prefers to be called that way. Maybe even if he's asleep he would still look angry about something.

The elevator’s hum lulled her already hurting head, she wished she could just breathe easier but everytime she's a floor closer to the president’s office the more her heart rate picks up. She pinched her nose and covered her mouth with the other hand so she'd stop hyperventilating which resulted on her gasping like a drowned fish if fishes could drown.

She bit down her lower lip and rapped on the big door leading to the large office. It opened right away.

“Take a seat Lalisa.” Came the voice from behind a large swivel chair.

Am I in trouble? She wanted to ask but kept silent.

The president turned painfully slow and nodded to a folder on the table.

“I have a special assignment for you.” he continued.

Lisa confused but somehow relieved reached for the folder marked with a red CONFIDENTIAL on the cover and opened it. It is a person's profile except the information aren't complete and the picture box where the person’s image should be is blank.

Last name: Kim

First name: Unknown

Female, 20 years old.

“You are going to find her for me, you're going with Roger.”

“Krunk? Why him?” She's getting a bad feeling about this. They're not going to kill a 20 year old girl, are they?

“You do the “finding” he does the “getting", now no more questions” He said coldly, even under that stupid hat Lisa could see his eyes glint with something she cannot name.

“You both bring her to me, alive. She belongs to the Feline and the Saurian clan.” The president added as if he has read her mind.

“Yes, Mr. Yang.” Lisa replied.

On the second page is a printed emblem of a dragon from the mythical Saurian clan, Lisa can't believe they still exist, she flipped again, the Felines are very secretive she wonders if there's information about them. The last page is just a picture of a kitten. She looked up, confusion must have shown in her eyes because the President responded with a curt

“That's the only description we have of her. You're dismissed.”

Lisa went out of the office with a mix of emotions broiling in the pit of her stomach, or maybe she's just hungry. She needs to grab something to eat and bring some food for Jisoo too there is still that one problem about that thieving footage of her.

She checked the folder again and groaned, her mission starts tomorrow. Maybe the president has overestimated her skills as a tracker. He doesn't know that she's ranked on top because she has her secrets. One might call it cheating. She just hopes she doesn't have to use it often or she'll get caught. In the meantime she'll have to find this girl who looks like a cat.


	7. Friendless

The night is her friend and the silver moon her companion she's not a stranger to the dark. 

With light footsteps Jennie follows the trail of mangled bodies, probably some band of travellers who fell victim to the gaping mouths of the crawlers, the carcasses are still fresh.

She stepped over a pair of disembodied arms, hands still clasping a gun to which she looked on with contempt. A gun is the worst weapon anyone could defend themselves with.

She looked around if there is anything of use, she frowned. Not even an article of clothing that is not torn apart into pieces.   
After so many suns of wandering around Jennie has learnt to scavenge, clothe and feed herself. 

Gone were the days of luxury in her family's chateaux. Everything has changed is a stark understatement. She was young then, living in opulence sharing laughter with her brother when they swipe sweets from the kitchen during gatherings, getting healing kisses from her mom whenever she falls down from running around their vast vineyard, and her father she never really met him. 

Always away he should've stayed away because his homecoming brought doom. Now they are just ghosts who haunt her mind, phantom faces in her dreams. 

A cold wind announced it's presence bringing a chill to her exposed nape.

The East really have cold nights and becomes sweltering hot when the sun is up. Another expected bone-chilling gust but an unanticipated whiff of something lavender mixed with it. She raised her nose to the soft scent, almost non-existent because of the temperature. She might be mistaken but she's rarely wrong, she turned to the direction against the blowing wind  quickening her pace. She doesn't know why the fragrance calls to her on the metaphysical level. Her feet has their own will and she's carried to the barbed wire fence. For a second she thought there's a person stuck in between the post and the wild mesh of wire. It turns out to be just a black oversized hoodie the source of that faint floral aroma. 

After a bit of a struggle she freed the thick but light clothing from it's prison. It's too large for her, she raised it up to her shoulders and the hem reaches almost to her knees. 

The owner must be tall she thought, and wondered if he or she's one of those chewed bodies she saw earlier. A constellation is emblazoned on the front, she smiled it's perfect to ward off the cold. 

She put it on and slowly warmth enveloped her body, she inhaled and the distinct lavender comforted her as if somebody's got her in a tight embrace she almost purred. Jennie snapped out of her reverie when she heard some leaves on the ground crunch. A crawler is slowly approaching her. It's glowing pair of eyes looked into another pair of bright ones. The owner of the latter zipped the hoodie close up to her neck, she clutched her dagger  across her chest it's tip reaching up to her elbows. She has to do this quick and clean, she doesn't want crawler blood on any part of her especially on her brand-new black hooded jacket. The scent has already endeared it to her. 

With one swift move Jennie bounded on top of a hanging branch. With another launch she landed on the crawlers protruding spine, with the force of her leap and gravity pulling her she sliced off the head with a seamless swing. Jennie stepped off the cadaver satisfied, she adjusted the shoulders of her newfound apparel and pulled on the hood hiding her face.

She makes her way to the famous East Fortress, she travels in the cover of night because the night is the only one that is not her foe.


	8. Delicate

The thoughts in her head was loud but it has now become significantly quieter. Rosé is pinning down a girl holding her forearms over her head, looking into her eyes.

Time stood still, Rosé stared as the girl's pupils dilate, her black hair splayed on the grass, she looks delicate the redhead decided.

Rosé examined her closely, she's not wearing the uniform so she's not the one she should run away from. Still she didn't loosen the grip she hasn't concluded that this person is harmless.

She plucked up the thing in the stunned girl's hands while clutching both of her wrists. She turned it in her left hand, testing its weight.

She stared into the muzzle, the dark haired girl's eyes widened even more when Rosè pulled on the trigger.

"No no no-" The loud bang interrupted the protests from the girl under her, the bullet's force whipped Rosé's head up, she slowly lowered her gaze down to the squirming human being, she wonders why she's doing that when she's not the one who got hit. The people from that place she came from doesn't even flinch when they watch their subjects get hurt.

"W-what are you?"

The girl gaped at her as she watched the entry wound on her temple ceased bleeding it healed at a fast pace the eyes could witness it.

"Th-that gun is designed to penetrate crawler skin and the bullets fused with toxin to hasten cell disintegration, tissue necrosis should be visible by now y-yet you're-" she stopped when Rosé let go of her wrists.

"Why do you talk like that?"

Rosé tilted her head assessing her again.

"I-im a biochemist a-and y-you're on top of me you should've bought me dinner first before doing this." She's trying to get up and her captor let's her and got up herself.

She stands but Rosé is a head taller than her. The shorter girl touched the spot behind her head where she hit the ground when she tackled her and winced.

"Delicate" is the only word that crops up in her mind while looking at this girl.

"I'm sorry I did that, I was in a rage and it's hard for me to calm down but I saw you and..." She trailed off her sentence.

"I'm Jisoo, I'm okay."

She said with a smile and Rosé adds "beautiful" to her list of words for her.

"I'm Rosé." She answered, she suddenly felt naked under Jisoo's scrutiny.

She looked down on body and realized she's got nothing on but caked blood all over her body and burnt dust sticking to her skin and hair.

Rosé looked the other way, too embarrassed to cover herself with her arms.

"Ah- I'm sorry. Just a moment Rosé."

Jisoo ran towards the post where she left her backpack and pulled up a long jacket.

"Here, put this on." Jisoo said with her head down.

"I saw what you did to the crawlers there and I'm still recovering from shock from what happened just now, what were you doing in that building?"

"I was taking a shower."

Rosé answered as she puts on the jacket.

 

"Who takes cold showers in a building full of those creatures?"

 

"I ran away." Rosé said softly.

 

"You didn't show up in my DNA recon scanner, I thought only crawlers are there in the building, it must have not worked properly." Jisoo said apologetically.

"You can come to my place, it's not that great, I ran away too. You can clean up there. It's just a little distance from here."

 

Rosé lit up and nodded vigorously as an acceptance of the offer.

 

"I have some food there and you can get some rest, then tomorrow you could go on your way."

 

The two figures trekked uphill under the guidance of the faint moonlight. Both unaware of what twisted fate has in store for them.


	9. Guilt

"I have some food there and you can get some rest, then tomorrow you could go on your way." Unsure why she said that Jisoo ran her hand along her hair adding a slight tug near her temple to make sure she's still sane and not dreaming.

The way the girl's face lit up when she nodded made Jisoo think she won't regret her choice.

She's taking this girl who calls herself Rosé to her place. Her little shack that she has kept secret for years now. The only other person who knows about her secret shack is Lisa, and it took months before she let her in. Even if she saw how Rosé annihilated those creatures there's still something fragile about her. She looks barely over eighteen, Jisoo is not even sure if this person is human judging from what she saw earlier. Maybe it's because the girl in front of her reminds her of herself when she stowed away from home. She looked helpless and dirty, and nobody was there to help her. She kept looking at Rosé who is at the moment struggling with the zipper locks of the long black jacket she lent her. She looks like a lost puppy.

"Let me help you with that"

At the meantime she will be the kind hand for a misplaced soul.

She fixes the jacket clasps that was causing the problem, took off the thick scarf from her neck and wrapped it around Rosé's. Now she looks like a dirty fluffball, the girl scratched her left cheek and averted her eyes.

"Let's go, you must be itchy, with all those dried blood pulling on your epidermis."

Jisoo took the lead as they walked under the moonlit trees. She chose the trail that could take them quicker to the place. The uphill walk leaves her a bit breathless, she looked back to the girl who's barely made a noise ever since they started walking. The barefoot girl stopped when she stopped.

"Are you okay?" Jisoo asked.

The girl looked at her intently, opened her mouth but didn't speak and nods her head once.

She doesn't even look tired Jisoo observed "We're almost there." She said out loud to reassure herself. She definitely needs to exercise some more.

They arrived at a little clearing, her secret paradise surrounded by luscious trees,there in the middle stood a little innocent shack.

"Welcome to my place."

Inside the room is bare, except for the scanner and hidden cameras that are connected to the system underneath the shack. Jisoo took off her gun holsters and everything metallic on her person and stepped forward on to a little platform. The invisible spectrum of light fanned out and scanned her. The machine glowed green showing that she's clean.

"Come" she invited.

Rosé motioned to undo the clasps of her jacket to take it off again.

"No you can keep that on, my jacket does not contain any electronics nor does it have any trace of metal content." Jisoo said faster than she intended which left her a little short of breath, she noticed that her own face has gone hotter with the thought of this girl getting naked in front of her again.

Rosé let her hand hang loose on both sides of her body and walked to the platform. The same wavelength of light scanned her but the display glows red this time.

"Curious, your DNA does not belong to the archives I got from the company." Jisoo said as she circled around Rosé.

"I-I don't know, wh-what I feel."

Rosé's eyes rolled back and she started collapsing down the floor. Jisoo tried to catch her but the girl is too heavy they both fell down the platform. Jisoo struggled to get up and checked the other girl's respiration and pulse. She's still breathing faintly and the pulse on her neck is alarmingly fast and forceful. She felt the girl's forehead, her temperature is going up by degrees. She turned her head to the screen display that shows the scan, and noticed that there is a foreign object underneath Rose's skin. From the side of her neck a stream of smoke rises. Jisoo reached for her backpack and pulled out a knife. She sliced the side of the girl's neck and fished out the offending object. It feels like a piece of burning coal she threw it down the floor the moment it touched her skin. The cut she made on Rosé's neck began healing. Her eyes started to gain focus again.

"What happened?"

Jisoo, still in awe of the girl's regenerative ability just pointed at the thing she threw on the floor. Rosé followed her finger and touched the side of her fully healed neck.

"So this is how they die." She said wistfully. She got up and embraced the stunned Jisoo.

"Thank you, for not letting me die." Rosé said tightening the hug enveloping her in her arms. Jisoo breathed out in relief.

"Th-the fing mydme a dacker." Jisoo's words sounded muffled with her face buried in Rosé's neck and shoulder who did not let her go but just held her with a hair's breadth between them to look at her with questioning eyes.

"The thing might be a tracker. I uh, I have to disable it, if uh if not, the ones who wants to kill you would find you here."

Rosé nodded and let her get up, Jisoo quickly got to work. With the tip of her knife she took out the wires from the wall and yanked on it. The scanner bleeped once and turned off. She peeled the wires and took out the copper underneath.

She got a specimen container from her bag and put the thing which turned out to be a microchip inside. She quickly wrapped it with thick coils of copper wire until it turned into a big bronze ball.

"There, you're safe for now. Let's go inside."

When she said inside, Jisoo meant underground. She pressed a combination of keys on a panel and a door opened to a small elevator. They got in and made the descent. Underneath a wide hallway welcomed them with a ding and the lights turning on in a sequence.

"I found this old place and did some fixing. It has decently warm water, the shower is to that corner on the right. I'll bring you something else to wear."

She turned to Rosé and found that she's looking down at the floor.

"You are so kind." She quietly said.

"Hey, feel at home. What I'm doing, it's nothing much, it's been some time since I've been this way to anyone" Jisoo felt the corners of her mouth lift up. Rosé lifted her head and smiled back, which bunched up her cheeks. Her smile looks manic and innocent at the same time with the blood on her face. Jisoo's heart felt like it has grown twice it's size. She's sure it's gonna burst anytime. Why does this this girl awake these kinds of physiological reactions in her?

While Rosé was in the bathroom, Jisoo tussled with the copper wires she made. With the sound of running water in the background. She loaded the microchip on connectors to her computer. Once it goes online she'd make sure the location it would feed back to it's main network would be the fake coordinates she set. These people would find themselves looking for Rosé in a meat grinding shop. Jisoo smirked, the certain meatshop they'd find themselves in is not like any other shops. It's called the Slaughterhouse for another reason. The owner has a penchant for caging crawlers and sometimes releasing them when he feels like he's threatened by strangers. This is just a petty little revenge to them, they'd still have to pay for trying to kill a girl. Who would want to do that?

She scanned the chip and her stomach dropped when the codes were read. A logo of a bird is displayed on a side bar. With clammy hands she clicked on it, No matter how much she'd deny it, it's all clear to her now that is her family's emblem. Her insides didn't just take a downward plunge but twisted and turned with bitter than bile reproach. The whole world fell down her shoulder when Rosé stepped out of the bathroom, she has dried her hair and she's now wearing Jisoo's striped pyjamas. It is inches shorter than her, now that she's all clean she exudes a childlike faultlessness. Jisoo took all of her image in and felt guilty tears stinging her eyes.


	10. Black

The tension laden air, felt especially heavy today. She could taste a tangy expectation hanging over the dark clouds Lisa could see from her apartment window.

Lisa hit dial on her phone for a hundredth time. It connected, surprising.

“Jisoo? Where have you been all this time? Why aren't you picking up your phone? What are you doing now?”  The explosion of questions came from the tangles of worry in her stomach. She pulled down the blinds in her room and made sure she had the windows locked.

“I picked up didn't I? Geez so crabby early in the morning, you sound like a naggy wife.” Came the sleepy reply. “What do you want? Did you get some rest?” 

“I’m sorry, it's just urgent and I was up all night.”

“Calm your tits if you have any, okay tell me I'm all ears” Jisoo said, wakefulness seeping into the voice from the speaker.

“I'll have to come over before I tell you. It's not safe over the phone.” The last part came in a hushed tone.

“I'll disable the traps for you so you won't get your hair fried like last time.” Jisoo said with a snort.

“And don't worry, everything is fine.” 

Lisa calmed down a bit and breathed out “Okay I'll see you in an hour.” She answered while grabbing the folder and her duffel bag where she stashed the raw suppressant she stole from the men the day before.

“Lisa, before you come I have someone with me. She's skittish so approach with caution.” Jisoo warned.

“Oh, you got a pet?”

“No, she's human, kinda. You'll meet her later.”

“Woah, woah, you got a girlfriend and you haven't told me about it? Is that why you weren't taking my calls? Jisoo, I'm shaking my head right now just so you know.”

“No she's not my girlfriend either, my phone was on silent okay- ah she's awake. I'll see you later Lisa-ya.” 

With that Jisoo ended the call which astounded Lisa. Wow, just what kind of girl is she that made Jisoo this way? She wondered. She glanced at the bedside clock, 5:00 AM. She has little time left, she'll meet with Krunk in 3 hours. The suppressant should be ready if Jisoo’s ass could be of any use and work faster.

Lisa is changing she could feel it in her system, that is what she needs the suppressant for. If the company would get an inkling about it she's dead meat or maybe become a lab-rat of some kind. Her stomach knotted,she grabbed the cold meal from her refrigerator and everything perishable from it, she might be away for a long time. She got out of her apartment and went down. Taking the stairs two steps at a time. Leaving the same scuffs on the wooden steps, the other steps remained the same state as it was installed the first time. She caught her reflection on the mirror beside her main door. She looks like hell, she doesn't look like the every day Lisa, not at all. She sighed at the sight of the dark circles under her eyes, making them look larger than it already is. She gave her bangs a brush with her fingers.

“To whatever Deity is out there, have mercy.” 

She whispered when she opened the door and went out. She'll have to get something she left beyond the wall before going to Jisoo’s place.

She boarded the bus heading to the NorthWest. Her actual destination is actually the part of the wall where she broke the camera but she wouldn't risk it. She got off the bus five stops earlier.

She tightened her bag straps and vaulted over a fence. Swinging her body effortlessly under the bar that holds the fence together. Leaving a ringing sound in her wake when she let go of her grip and launched herself to the hanging ladder on the side of the closest building. Her arms and legs rhythmic and graceful as they carried her weight over rungs, over walls and barricades. She ran on her toes on the edges of high buildings. For the length of the time she's moving with the wind whipping her hair, she's free and unchained. The fetters and stigma from her own work as an officer forgotten. The change in her does not bother her because she just couldn't care. Only the balance in her core, and the tempo of her feet is real. She avoided places where there could be people hanging around, it's still too early, the sun just five fingers up from the horizon. Lisa listened to her steady breathing she caught sight of the wall where the still-broken camera hanging lifeless on the topmost part. She scaled it again and traced the same rocks she climbed the day before. She stirred up a little cloud of dust when she landed on her feet on the other side.

Not ten steps to her destination she already sensed a presence following her every move. Instinct telling her to turn her head when the little hairs on her nape prickled, her gaze travelled up the trunk of a tree and there on the lowest branch stood a girl around her age, her eyes met another that reminded her of a cat. They suspiciously stared at each other. Gauging how to react to another. Lisa felt like she's frozen and pinned down by the girl’s scrutiny, but at the same time curious. Lisa's eyes widened when she realized the girl is wearing an all too familiar black hoodie with her favorite constellation on the front.

“That's mine.” Lisa said, almost too loudly that nearby small birds fluttered away.

The silent cat girl, still on her perch did not reply, but only looked down at the oversized hoodie she had on.  The fractured silence, like heavy lead covered them again. Undisturbed. Languid feline eyes continued to observe her. Lisa let out a breath  moving with blinding speed toward the tree, reached up and vaulted up to the branch. Face to face with the girl. 

“You look even more stunning up close” Lisa said with a toothy smile. The girl looked surprised but Lisa felt something prick the side of her neck. The vision was a blur but Lisa caught sight of the dragon head on the dagger’s hilt that's in the hand of the other girl. “Saurian- 

Her world started turning black around the edges, a dark vignette for the girl's faint smile as she watches Lisa fall down the ground, her consciousness slipping away.


	11. Fate

"That's mine."  
That much is obvious. Jennie thought, her pupils dilated with that lavender scent the air carried. Without her bidding the rods on her irises contracted, changing the colors of her eyes, reflecting the green foliage. The disappointment is visible. The owner of her newly favored clothing has come to take it back, technically she's the one who's been stalking her minutes ago. She had to part with the black hoodie so soon,  but she did not blink once when the girl who is claiming it ascended the tree with her long limbs and unbelievable speed. She hated it that she's impressed. 

“You look even more stunning up close”. The girl grinned, displaying a perfect set of teeth. Her slender body with wide shoulders leaning forward.  
Jennie tilted her head to stare back at such misplaced confidence, assessing how she'd eliminate this problem, she is Jennie Kim and she doesn't give back what she takes.

From out of nowhere she saw a dart fly straight to the taller girl's neck. The girl tried to say something but she  slipped down the branch and fell with a thud on the forest floor. Jennie's right hand grip tightened around her dagger.   
Her smile widened,  well the problem took care of itself quickly, lady luck is on her side. In a split second another rain of darts came whistling through the air, What luck, she thought. Jennie turned and with the flat side of the blade she swatted all the darts away, not risking cutting through it. Something toxic might be inside.

"Show yourself."

She jumped down and landed next to the  girl. She checked her pulse. Still beating.

“Manoban really is our best tracker.” The hulking man said, looking at the unconscious girl on the ground. He emerged from the bushes like a grizzly bear he is.

“Meanwhile you aren't the best at aiming.” Jennie answered as she stood up and assumed her usual stance.

“Thats just too bad isn't it? You have quite a lot of fire in you but I could see you're so easy to find that, that-- The large man observed motioning at  the oversized black hoodie Jennie is wearing -found you long before she did.”

Jennie bristled “On the contrary, I found this  first and I was tracking her, she's mine.”

The man chuckled “Oh, so possessive. Unfortunately, she's company property now, and so are you.”

"No one could ever own me, who are you anyway and what do you want from me?" Jennie answered. The annoyance in her voice evident.

The giant of a man just scowled, reached for his dart gun and fired.   
"Too slow." Jennie said leaping through the air latching on the forearm that fired the dart. She concentrated on her left hand until she could feel her ligaments and knuckles snap into place. Claws that of a cat's emerged through her fingertips. "Too soft." She said with a smirk, noticing the deep scrape lines she made that ran along the man's forearms to his bulging trapezius muscles.Her blade made a sweet line too. She could cut him into ribbons.   
The man grabbed her by the neck and flung her to the farthest tree. She skidded on all fours "Ugh, too strong." She thought stabbing the ground with her dagger to gain her momentum, she'll play along.  
The man charged, an enraged bull on steriods. Matching Jennie's speed he tried to lunge for her throat but the agile cat-girl dodged. Her muscles coiled and tightened launching herself off the top of his head. She brought him down in a tackle that ended with a leg lock around his throat. The veins on his forehead pulsated in his effort to free himself. The sound of his gagging reverberated through the woods, along with the rustling leaves. She spoke into his ear.  
  "I'm used to fighting opponents ten times larger than you, now I'll ask you again, who are you and what do you want from me?"  
"K-krunk, my name. Mr. Yang sent me and her, Manoban, to find and take you to the company."   
Jennie did not loosen her hold, but her eyes widened at the familiar name. She glanced at the unconscious girl lying on the ground.

"Yang, as in Yang Hyun Suk?"

"Yes." The guy Krunk coughed it out.

With that Jennie stood up and said  
"Okay, take me to him."  
Krunk looked at her incredulity showed on his face.  
"Let's go." Jennie motioned with her head to the girl. "Don't forget to bring her too."   
Krunk hastened to follow the command given. He dares not disobey.


	12. Company

She tried breathing but the air has taken itself anywhere else but her lungs. She could hear gagging sounds from her left side. Her older sister is foaming in the mouth she could see her mouth moving, her eyes trying to focus on her. Panic has tightened its grip around Chaeyoung's heart. She almost twisted her neck when she heard the door of their cell slam open. People in gray uniforms piled in and dragged her almost unconscious sister out of the doorway. She ran to the exit so she could go with her sister but large hands held on to her arms and dragged her back to the cot. She kicked and she shouted at them but her little seven year old fists could not hurt them. She wanted to hurt them for taking her sister. She screamed and thrashed around.   
"ALICE, ALICE , ALICE!"

Hands clutched at her but they're no longer large.  
Shaking her out of her nightmare. 

"Shshh calm down, it's just a dream."  A soothing voice said. 

Her shallow breathing came in short gasps. Little by little the surroundings made sense to Chaeyoung, she spent the night here after she escaped from the laboratory. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she's face to face with the girl who helped her last night, Jisoo. Dark hair, pink lips, she's wearing that expression she cannot name. From last night when she told her she can't sleep and Jisoo stayed with her in bed until she fell asleep.

Her wide eyed stare must have solicited a reaction from the other girl because her hands reached up to cup Chaeyoung’s face. 

“You're safe here.” Jisoo said, wiping the sideways tear tracks, she didn't even know she was crying. 

“What have they done to you?” Jisoo’s voice shook with an emotion she can't put a finger on. Without her bidding Chaeyoung moved in and pulled Jisoo effortlessly toward her  then buried her face on Jisoo’s chest. She’s so soft that the creeping numbness she kept close to her heart threatened to go away, but she clings to it desperately, she doesn't want to feel anymore. Any attachment that she had to anybody or anything eventually ends in ashes or nothingness. The girl's warmth makes her want to stay that way plus she smells so good. She held on but inside she's waging a war against herself that she knows she will lose. No, she doesn't have the luxury to feel.

“l’m leaving later.” She said.

“Right away? Where are you gonna go?” Jisoo untangled herself and looked at her. 

“About that, I really don't know.” She answered. She looked into Jisoo’s eyes and she knows she could trust her with her soul.

“I need to find my sister, before I escaped I heard some female subjects were taken to the Western concentration, I will go there.” She said with conviction.  “But I don't know where that is, I've been lost.”

“I could help you with that.” Jisoo said “but you'll have to let me go with you.”

Chaeyoung looked at the girl as if she has grown a second head.

“ W-what? No, it can't be. I am a ticking bomb, anyone near me when I'm in a rage can't survive.”

Jisoo’s lopsided smile looks so inviting when she said “Bombs are my babies, I could handle that. I'll show you a map after we eat breakfast, a friend is coming over some time later. Let's go.”

“I still haven't said yes to you going with me.” Chaeyoung protested.

“You don't have to.” she smiled that blinding smile again.

After breakfast Chaeyoung surmised that she must have ate up all of Jisoo’s provisions, which she voiced out.

“You don't have to worry, eat some more. Lisa always brings food whenever she comes here.” Jisoo replied giving her another serving of red beans.

“Tall people like you need more.”

While she ate, Jisoo turned on a screen next to the table and showed her a map. 

“Here this is us.” Pointing to a spot marked with something red. Other places have marks too that looks unfamiliar to her. 

Chaeyoung nodded. 

“Show me where you came from.” Jisoo said, going to the other side of the screen near Chaeyoung.

“I- I uhh, I can't read.” Chaeyoung bit her fingernails as she looked at the map closely. From where she grew up reading wasn't part of the curriculum, only survival. Her sister taught her some letters and numbers but they were separated so soon before she could put those letters together.

“Is the name of the place you're from called Falcon Industries?”

Another nod from Chaeyoung.

“How many days have passed since you've escaped?”

Chaeyoung held up 3 fingers.

“Okay, what was your means of transportation?”

Chaeyoung shook her head “I was barefoot, and I crossed a river before I got to the place where we met.”

Jisoo’s eyes widened at that. “So you came all the way from the Falcon Industries headquarters, that's the only place that you'll cross a river to get here. That's crazy far from here.”

Chaeyoung scratched her nose “I swam too, there were things in the river, big ones.”

“You came close to aquatics and lived to tell about it. Wow, you're really one of a kind Rosé.”

“You're still not scared of me?” She asked.

“Why would I be?” Jisoo countered with a raised eyebrow.

“Wait, what are aquatics, where are they from?”

“That question will launch a week long history lecture from me, but we don't have that time so here's the short version. Roughly half a millennium ago humans thought they were smart enough to cure cancer, stop global warming and end the people's problems in general. That's where they were wrong. They tinkered with nature and produced monsters, Crawlers, Aquatics, the Airborne and the Amphibia. They did not end the problems of the world but ended the world instead.” Jisoo said wistfully. “Then a disaster came, much like the big flood of Noah from the olden times but this time with fire and lava. The world crumbled and drowned but came back mutated and unnatural from what it was before, some people survived, some are changed too. This is our world now, haunted ghost towns. There could be more I could tell you, I spent a lot of my life studying, but I'll save it for another time. Today I'll hack the Falcon Industries system and help you find your sister, is that alright?”

Jisoo is standing there and Chaeyoung haven't known until now that a ray of hope could also shine underground.

“Okay.” She answered.

While Chaeyoung stuffed her face with toast, she watched Jisoo tapping on her computer, watched her tuck a wayward strand of hair. Her heart shaped lips. Her dark eyes intently looking back at her Chaeyoung swallowed. 

“I'm sorry, I don't want to disturb-

The relentless blaring of the alarm bells seared through her eardrums. She brought both hands to cover her hurting ears.

“Oh fuck, that's Lisa. I forgot to turn off the security system.” Jisoo ran to the screen that shows a live feed from the camera outside her shack, but what she saw wasn't Lisa, but a horde of uniformed men. Stunned with electric shock and another group approaching.

“I'll activate a lockdown, but it's too late, some are already inside. We'll have to go.”

Chaeyoung recognized those uniforms, she's beginning to hyperventilate. They've found her. Her hope to find her sister crushed to pieces. Then Jisoo’s face is in her field of view. She's saying something over the alarm but she couldn't hear her. Jisoo grabbed Chaeyoung’s arms and brought her to a standing position she disappeared to another room bringing a backpack as large as her and took Chaeyoung’s hand leading her to a maze of dark hallways. Everything fell away except the feeling of Jisoo holding her hand, further into smaller and damp tunnels the alarms faded. She followed Jisoo to the end where there is daylight.


End file.
